Who would have thought that something so quick to make could be so tasty? I never did. At least, not until about 10 years ago when I first started making these mug brownies. These were all the craze in high school. They made for the most perfect lunchtime treat. My friend group and I each brought in our own mugs to school. We then decided who would bring in which ingredients. 

The ingredients for these microwave mug brownies are simple: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, water, a light, flavorless oil OR butter, and some vanilla extract. And, I would like to note that the vanilla extract can certainly be left out if you do not like the idea of your brownie having any hint of vanilla flavor whatsoever. 

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5-Minute Microwave Mug Brownie

Recipe by Recipe Helper

Course: Dessert, SnacksDifficulty: Easy

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

4

minutes

Cooking time

1

minute

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 3 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 teaspoons water

• 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a mug, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, water, oil and vanilla extract.
• Microwave for 1 minute 10 seconds.
• Allow the brownie to rest for 4 minutes. Serve with ice cream and Enjoy!

Notes

• Caution: The mug will be hot after being heated in the microwave. Use oven mits to remove the mug if necessary.

Ok, so now, back to high school. Since I was an avid baker, I typically brought in the cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Another girl would bring in the flour. Another would bring in the oil or butter and so on. Fortunately, making these brownies did not take long. We would mix up the ingredients right at our lunch table in our respective mugs and then one or two people would make a beeline to the microwaves so the mug brownies could be “baked” for 1 minute to 1 minute and 10 seconds. My school had two microwaves in the cafeteria. So, it was always a good day when both were unoccupied. The faster we could get the brownies in the microwave, the faster we could devour them. And fortunately, we could fit three mugs in the microwave at a time, so we could speed up the process. We typically gauged the cook time by knowing the brownies were finished once we started smelling the chocolate aroma. 

Our almost daily routine of making mug brownies in the cafeteria created a domino effect among our classmates. Pretty soon, the whole cafeteria was smelling like cocoa powder and brownies during the lunch periods, breaks and once school was dismissed. 

I am glad that my classmates and I discovered these treats because mug brownies were a hidden gem that not too many people knew about. And, it still blows my mind today, 10 years later that even when I bring up this dessert in conversation, some people still have no idea what I am talking about. Trust me, once you try this recipe for my 5-Minute Microwave Mug Brownie, you will always make sure you keep the key ingredients on hand so you can make one on the whim. 

And, let me tell you the most wonderful thing that I love about this dessert besides eating it is that since it is prepared directly in a mug, there is only one dirty dish to wash and one spoon. Isn’t that wonderful? I think you will be quite satisfied with this yummy treat. And, the cleanup process will not stress you out like when making regular oven baked brownies. 

I hope you try making these 5-Minute Microwave Mug Brownies and fall in love with their taste just like I did 10 years ago in high school. Have fun and use whatever add-ins that you like such as, chocolate chips, peanut butter or sprinkles. And, remember, once you begin smelling that sweet aroma of the decadent chocolate mixture, then you’re in business. Enjoy your treat! Until the next recipe!